Some types of wireless network technologies, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) technologies, allow a wireless communication device (WCD) to communicate with a radio access network (RAN) substantially simultaneously via multiple wireless coverage areas. This substantially simultaneous communication may occur either during call establishment or after a call has been established.
During call establishment, the RAN may transmit more than one channel assignment message to the WCD. Each of these channel assignment messages may be transmitted via a different wireless coverage area. In this way, the probability that the WCD receives at least one channel assignment message is increased.
Once a call has been established, the RAN may transmit copies of the same bearer data to the WCD via traffic channels from each of several wireless coverage areas. This approach can increase the likelihood that the WCD will receive at least one copy of the bearer data. Additionally, the WCD may be able to combine two or more received copies of the bearer data such that the WCD can decode the received bearer data more reliably than if the WCD received only one copy of the bearer data. An analogous procedure may be used for bearer data transmitted by the WCD.